Debbie Sims, 34, from Mount Avenue, runs Rainbowsend Magic, a company which specialises in using her seven-year-old pony to help and reassure people with various conditions

Magic the horse, who is used for pony therapy by Debbie Sims of Barwell, who runs Rainboswend Magic

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A pony-loving mum from Barwell says she hopes to inspire others to “follow their dreams” with the launch of her new animal therapy business.

Debbie Sims, 34, from Mount Avenue, runs Rainbowsend Magic, a company which specialises in using her seven-year-old pony to help and reassure people with various conditions.

The single mum-of-three is a trained animal-assisted therapist and takes Magic the pony to infant schools, and also encourages him to help disabled children and lift the spirits of the elderly in care homes.

Debbie now hopes to start taking Magic into hospitals. The inseparable pair also have a trial at a hospice in the next few weeks.

Debbie said: “Someone I met heard me talking about Magic and suggested pony therapy, so I looked into it and we now take him to meet people who need him and want to spend time with him.

“Pony therapy is a relatively new idea in England but has had amazing results in America in some of the most difficult situations.

“Ponies are very spiritual animals and can mirror a persons mood.

“Magic has proved on many occasions that he is completely in tune with the people he visits - he reacts accordingly to achieve a positive outcome with any individual, he can lift the whole vibe in a room full of people.”

Debbie was able to get her business off the ground with the help of the National Enterprise Allowance scheme, a government-backed initiative run at the Job Centre.

She now says that she hopes to inspire other people in similar situations to never give up.

She added: “It’s been so tough and at times I could easily have given in but, once find the right thing, you can do it - it gives you a push.

“There is help out there for single mums like me and you can do your own thing. You just need to know where to look.”

For more information on pony therapy, visit www.rainbowsendmagic.com or call Debbie on 07982 333494.